Built in the coal-rich area of Wise County in 1922, the Tacoma School is the sole-surviving legacy of the once promising coal-mining town of Tacoma. The property’s picturesque landscape is set against the towering presence of Stone Mountain and the Guest River. Tacoma School was constructed using plans adopted by the North Carolina state school system in 1911. “Design No. 4” features a one-story, four-room structure with a clipped gable roof and unique windows. The present school was rebuilt after a 1936 fire damaged the building. In 1973, the Wise County School Board discontinued its use as a school. In 1993, the school was purchased by a non-profit community group, which converted into a community center.  The Tacoma School building retains its school-like character with original large classroom spaces, wainscoting, paneled doors and transoms, as well as fine original tongue-and-groove wooden floors.